rs
Member
Joined: 14 Jan 2009
Posts: 188
Location: Holland, Michigan
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 Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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Two things that helped me.
First, I developed formulas for some good ground. There are alot of formulas available, and a good ground is much more important to appearance, I believe, than a good varnish. When the ground is effective, the color of the varnish can be uniform regardless of the texture underneath. If the ground is intense, as some of the ancients demonstrate quite effectively, the color of the varnish added on top will also "jump out" at you. If colored varnish is applied directly to a white instrument, the results tend to show an unevenness by way of the porosity/absorbancy differences, particularly in the spruce. A good ground has an evening influence on the wood, making the patina more uniform. A good ground is therefore capable of covering alot of potential flaws, particularly in what would be openings in the spruce grain as the contour of the top changes directions, most notably in the C bouts close to the corners. You did not comment if you use a ground or not, but this is what I had to learn early. This was pointed out to me along time ago by a maker.
Second, I got most of the blotchiness when I used spirit varnishes incorrectly. Spirit varnishes should be applied with as little excessive back and forth motion as possible while applying the varnish. The reason is that the alcohal in the newly applied varnish will soften the otherwise dry varnish already applied. Overworking during application will "lift" the previous applications as they soften and form streaks and blotches along the way. I have never had this problem with oil varnish, but spirit can be a bit tricky if overdone. Cultivating a rapid hand, and sense of uniform application will help quite a bit.
I hope this helps.
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Randall Shenefelt |
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